What stops Kavach? Why no time to focus on common trains meant for common people?

By Atanu Roy

A goods train rammed into Kanchenjunga Express on 17th June morning in North Bengal. This could have been averted if the time tested anti-collision system (Kavach) was in place.

Field trial was initiated for Kavach in 2016, and till date has been installed only in less than 1,500 km of tracks out of total 70,000 km covered by Indian Railways across the country. A big gap indeed.

It's not the first incident, its happening repeatedly causing death, injury of hapless people. The credibility of the Indian Railway system is under lens.

Now, the needle of suspicion is pointed towards the ‘human error’ by the goods train hapless engine driver who died eventually. He is dead, so Railway Board chief put the blame on him before any formal investigation started .

The whole idea of Kavach is to initiate stoppage of trains in close proximity over the same track. It's the final step, after manual control fails for human error. So, the root cause is governments dilly dallying with the priorities at the cost of innocent lives.

What stops Kavach? As per railway officials, its the lack of money and resources. Railways are now overwhelmed in introducing ‘elite’ trains like Vande Bharat, and there is no time to focus on common trains meant for common people.

This is the trend for all sphere of Indian lives: the fate of NEET students aspiring for medical course, the migrant workers thrown out from their humble shelters during Covid lockdown, with no prior notice, our money swindled out of country; many such instances galore, with common people getting hit.

How long this suffering will continue? Till next elections? Do we have to wait for long five years.

Neville Cardus: The man who turned cricket writing into poetry

By Harsh Thakor* Neville Cardus was one of the most remarkable literary figures of the twentieth century. A prolific English writer and critic, he achieved distinction in two vastly different fields: cricket and classical music. Entirely self-taught, Cardus rose from humble beginnings to become both the cricket correspondent and chief music critic of The Manchester Guardian . His achievements in these contrasting disciplines earned him widespread acclaim and established him as one of the foremost critics of his generation. In February 2025, the cricketing and literary world marked the fiftieth anniversary of his death, which occurred in February 1975.

Ideological shifts and structural realities within India's left-wing insurgency

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist insurgency in India is arguably at its weakest point since the formation of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2004. Years of sustained counterinsurgency operations, leadership losses, shrinking territorial influence, declining recruitment, and growing technological advantages enjoyed by the state have significantly eroded the movement's operational capabilities.

The Dalit body on screen: Stereotypes, sacrifice, and subjugation in Hindi films

By Dr. Prem Singh* Despite centuries of reformist efforts, from Gandhi and Ambedkar to contemporary activists, the caste system remains deeply embedded in the Indian psyche. One of the primary reasons for this persistence is the religious sanction provided by Brahminical scriptures, which have shaped not only social structures but also cultural and artistic expressions.

Counterview

Search This Blog